It was job first and retirement talk second for Brendon McCullum yesterday on the eve of the final Test against Australia, with his focus firmly on a series-saving win and not his international swansong.
The clash in Christchurch will mark the charismatic New Zealand captain’s 101st and final Test on his home ground at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
New Zealand are playing “big brother” Australia, are one Test down in a two-Test series, and the swashbuckling McCullum needs just one more six to move to 101 and topple Australian Adam Gilchrist with the most Test sixes.
His farewell has drawn a sell-out crowd, with day three of the Test being the fifth anniversary of the devastating earthquakes which claimed 185 lives in Christchurch. Despite the emotional occasion, McCullum said it was “pretty easy” to shut out the distractions.
“We have got a job to do. We are 1-0 down in the series. We have got one Test to go and we have to find a way to square the series,” he said.
“At the moment all I’m focusing on is trying to enjoy the last Test with the boys. It will be special, playing in Christchurch as well... There is a lot to look forward to and plenty of time for reflection after the Test.”
The green wicket will again appeal to the seamers as Australia found in the first Test when they rolled New Zealand inside two sessions on the first day and went on to win by an innings and 52 runs in four days.
Both sides have made changes to their bowling attack following injuries to Doug Bracewell and Peter Siddle.
New Zealand are expected to bring in Matt Henry, their most successful bowler against Australia in the pre-Test ODI series.
Australia have included James Pattinson for Siddle, although captain Steve Smith downplayed the significance of a green-topped wicket.
“I don’t think it is a concern. For me it’s about making sure our batters adapt to the conditions. We know what we’re likely to face, we knew that before we came over here,” he said.
But for McCullum the wicket had all the hallmarks of bowling first if he wins the toss. “It looks like it’s got a nice healthy covering of grass. I’m sure that both team’s bowling line-ups will relish it,” he said. It’s not going to be necessarily a pleasant time out there with bat in hand.”
One bookmaker in England is taking bets that there will be tears from McCullum when it is all over, but the skipper has his own take on how emotional he will be. “It depends how long I’ve been batting I suppose. We’ll wait and see,” he said.
Pressed on whether he will entertain the crowd with a trademark, boundary-laden innings, McCullum said: “We’ll see what unfolds. I don’t know how I’m going to play until I get out there.”
McCullum did admit that if retirement was to be a focus then it was fitting for him to end his international career with a Test on his home ground.
“It’s nice to be able to go out in the purist form of the game, a game that means so much to cricketers who’ve played for New Zealand over decades and to be able to do it in your home town. There’s an element of romance there as well and it’ll be nice,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the result we want as well and go down to the local pub and have a few beers afterwards.”
New Zealand’s cricket team have run a gamut of emotions this week after they slumped to a heavy first Test loss to Australia then won three awards at their country’s premier sports awards on Thursday.
Now they have the opportunity to send captain McCullum into international retirement with a possible Test victory that would also prevent trans-Tasman rivals Austalia from reclaiming the world’s top ranking in Test cricket.
It is that emotion, however, that McCullum and team management have been attempting to rein.
All the 34-year-old wants his team to do is play the type of cricket that, until Monday’s loss at the Basin Reserve, contributed to a run of 13 home Tests without defeat.
“We’ve talked among the group and thought we were a bit too keen in the last Test. Sometimes when you want something so much, you start to tighten up a little bit,” McCullum said.
“The focus is to get back to what’s worked for us in the last three years, play with a lot of enthusiasm, play with a smile on the face and try and seize the key moments when they arrive.”
It was Steve Smith’s side who seized the key moments in the Wellington contest, which they captured by an innings and 52 runs.
They won the toss and exploited the favourable seam conditions to reduce the hosts to 51 for five inside 12 overs. From that point on, New Zealand were always chasing the game.
The hosts also did not help themselves. Smith was dropped on 18 before he made 71, Usman Khawaja survived a missed stumping on 34 before he made 140, while Adam Voges plundered 239 after he was wrongly reprieved when bowled on seven.
Khawaja and Smith combined for a 126-run partnership, Voges and Khawaja put on 168 runs, while Voges added 99 runs with Peter Siddle and 96 with Peter Nevill to ensure the tourists compiled a mammoth total in their one and only innings.
“Australia, if you give them an inch, they know how to take it,” McCullum said. “That’s why they’ve been such a good team for such a long period of time.”